One of the final hurdles for the James Webb Space Telescope has been cleared. The telescope passed the final launch readiness review, meaning that all the hardware and software for the Ariane 5 rocket are ready for flight. The liftoff is planned for December 24.
NASA said the teams recently completed a day of launch rehearsal. The launch site crews in French Guiana and the Mission Operations Center at the Space Telescope and Science Institute were involved.
Practice makes perfect, and that includes practicing the launch of NASA Webb several times. The final rehearsal was held inside the Flight Control Room at the time of the planned December 24 launch. The image is from the STScI.
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The Space Telescope Science Institute has a December 21st post.
NASA said that the various teams involved with launching the project are all standing at the ready.
The launch on the 24th is not a given. The weather is a potential issue. A delay is possible because of a current forecast for high altitude winds. Any weather delay might be a last-minute decision.
December 22 is when the rollout to the launchpad is scheduled to take place.
The Ariane 5 rocket was not flying on December 17th. The telescope will be protected during liftoff and its journey through the atmosphere on December 24. The credit is given to the European Space Agency.
The telescope is attached to the Ariane 5 and tucked into the rocket. The margins between the observatory and the rocket fairing are small, so putting the fairing around the telescope was a delicate operation.
The observatory was kept in a perfect temperature and humidity range for its last days on Earth.
You can see how the rocket is made.
The telescope needs to clear one final health before it can be used. Once the rocket is on the launchpad, technicians will conduct final electrical and software configurations to make sure everything goes smoothly. The telescope will be powered by internal battery power just 20 minutes before liftoff. The mission will be cleared for flight if the battery systems work at 15 minutes prior to launch.
Here is an animation of what the launch will be like.
